(NIGERIA MOMENT).

(URHOBOTODAY) - Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has began the implementation of the planned sack of over two hundred staff. Following what industry observers have termed “ethnic cleansing” of those employed during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The 25 people in the first batch of staff to be sacked have been given their dismissal letters, most of them cut across junior and management staff, who were employed by the last administration of Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, and the former DG, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, were dismissed by the agency yesterday.

A list of the sacked staff made available indicates that most of affected staff are from the South South and South East geo-political zones. This according to maritime industry watchers, is nothing but victimization. A notable maritime expert, Barrister Cajitan Ilomuanyan, said “this act is very unfortunate as much as it is audacious”.

Speaking further, ilomuanya asserted that the sack of workers from a particular region is selective and cannot be justified; “what we are witnessing since the emergency of Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro is demotion of staff while he is promoting people of his region; this no doubt is creating problem for President Buhari, as this tend to create an impression that the President is against other ethnic regions”.

Nonetheless, all attempts to contact the Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hajia Lammy Tumaka, proved abortive, as all calls placed to her numbers were not answered or returned.